Terry Blanton wrote:
And the second catalyst? Still a slightly radioactive isotope to further stack the quantum deck?
Whatever it is, I'll bet those heaters and the controller are also important, and I'll bet that other elements will also work to some extent. Maybe not as much.
With most technology, it turns out there is more than one way to skin a cat. The first implementation may be the best in the initial stages, but it often becomes obsolete a few years later. Incandescent light started with carbon filaments and went on to tungsten filaments. Transistors started with germanium and later went to silicon. I think germanium was easier at first. As I recall, it did not require as much purity or careful control over dopants. So germanium was the right answer at first and later silicon was the right answer.
- Jed
